ta·ter

(tā′tər)

n. Upper Southern US

Variant of potato.

[Shortening and alteration of potato.]

Our Living Language Since English is a language that stresses some syllables and not others, weakly stressed syllables, especially those preceding strong stresses, are dropped at times. This process, called aphesis when it occurs at the beginning of a word, is more common in regional American dialects than in the more conservative Standard English, which tends to retain in pronunciation anything reflected in spelling. Although many American dialects feature aphesis, it is most famous in the dialects of the South, where it yields pronunciations such as count of for (on) account of, possum for opossum, tater for potato, and skeeter for mosquito. See Note at holler²

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tater

(ˈteɪtə)

(Plants) a dialect word for potato

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ta•ter

(ˈteɪ tər)

n. Dial.

potato.

[1750–60]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

tater - an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland

Irish potato, murphy, potato, spud, white potato

starches - foodstuff rich in natural starch (especially potatoes, rice, bread)

solanaceous vegetable - any of several fruits of plants of the family Solanaceae; especially of the genera Solanum, Capsicum, and Lycopersicon

root vegetable - any of various fleshy edible underground roots or tubers

baked potato - potato that has been cooked by baking it in an oven

chips, french fries, french-fried potatoes, fries - strips of potato fried in deep fat

home fries, home-fried potatoes - sliced pieces of potato fried in a pan until brown and crisp

jacket - the outer skin of a potato

mashed potato - potato that has been peeled and boiled and then mashed

Uruguay potato - similar to the common potato

Solanum tuberosum, white potato, white potato vine, potato - annual native to South America having underground stolons bearing edible starchy tubers; widely cultivated as a garden vegetable; vines are poisonous

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

'bout ten year ole dat 'uz good to me, en hadn't no mammy, po' thing, en I loved her en she loved me; en she come out whah I uz' workin' en she had a roasted tater, en tried to slip it to me-- robbin' herself, you see, 'ca'se she knowed de overseer didn't give me enough to eat--en he ketched her at it, en giver her a lick acrost de back wid his stick, which 'uz as thick as a broom handle, en she drop' screamin' on de groun', en squirmin' en wallerin' aroun' in de dust like a spider dat's got crippled.

View in context

But his mother threw down her knitting, and, hurrying after him, took hold of his arm, and said, in a tone of plaintive remonstrance, "Nay, my lad, my lad, thee munna go wi'out thy supper; there's the taters wi' the gravy in 'em, just as thee lik'st 'em.

"Come, then," said Lisbeth, "but donna thee ate the taters, for Adam 'ull happen ate 'em if I leave 'em stannin'.

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'Do you care for taters?' said the waiter, with an insinuating smile, and his head on one side.

View in context

Good, plain, common cookin', Jinny'll do;--make a good pone o' bread,--bile her taters far,--her corn cakes isn't extra, not extra now, Jinny's corn cakes isn't, but then they's far,--but, Lor, come to de higher branches, and what can she do?

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I says, 'You should ha' sent me to school a bit more,' I says, 'an' then I could ha' read i' the books like fun, an' kep' my head cool an' empty.' Lors, she's fine an' comfor'ble now, my old mother is; she ates her baked meat an' taters as often as she likes.

View in context

5 Breakfast Cinnamon crunch bagel; Lunch Pancakes w/scrambled eggs, Sloppy Joe, SBJ, Tater Tots/baby carrots, fresh fruit/applesauce, milk

Central A&M lunch menu

So it was no surprise that the latest stunt by artist Banksy inspired a tater imitator.

CHIP MACHINE A CUT ABOVE

But students' favorite zero-waste dish was the Tater Tumblers, according to Robert Landolphi, assistant director of culinary operations.

1 What's the Latest in Zero Waste?

until 5 p.m., the Travel Channel will be filming at the eatery popular for over-the-top items like its Stuffed Truffle Mac & Cheese Burgerwhich is exactly what it sounds likeand the Now & Tater Burger, a burger with big tater tots for buns, a burger with caramelized onions blended in, smoked whiskey ketchup, queso dip, bacon, lettuce, tomato and pickles.

Travel Channel Callahan's one of the best pig out spots in US